The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-07
ain replied that the vessel would strike

tain replied that the vessel would strike
the rocks in less than fifteen minutes,
and that it would be dashed to pieces,
and that it would be impossible for any
one on board to be saved. I can assure
all that reard this, that that conversation
was not very consoling to myself and
friend. We became satisfied before this,
that our vessel conld not stand the storm,
and we become resigned to our fate, and
sat quietly in the cabin waiting and
expecting every second for the crash to
core, and ne would be no more. With
such fate staring us in the face, no
words or pen can picture our feelings, or
that of our crew.
About9 o'clock, from some cause, !
went to sleep and slept sound sleep for
two or three hours. The fury of the
storm did not slacken any until after
midnight, when the wind began to mod.
crate, and continued to do so until about
3 a. m, when we considered the storm
over. We sailed along smoothly until 4
p. M, at which time ne we're in the
Gulfstream. Another storm and cyclone
| struck us, and at once, without giving
much notice, equally as severe as the
storm the evening before. We were in
the tunnel, as they call it, between Cuba
on one side, and the Biminy reefs on the
other. The distance across was about
twenty or thirty miles. The winds come
through, or rises in the Gulf of Mexico,
and sweeps through this tunnel with
great force and fury. The storm of
Friday night was a repetition of the
storm of the night before. We had all
the feelings of fear and danger Of that
night, the Sal Keys on on one side
and the Biminy reefs on the oth {.
We were close enough to see the lignt.
house. I ventured to put my head
above deck and see what was going on,
and everything was SO awful that went
back to my cabin. This storm continued
until Saturday afternoon, and by night
the storm had pretty nearly subsidized.
There had now been two days and two
nights. The officers and crew bad been
working for life, and they appeared to be
completely exhausted. There is no
praise too great to bestov upon Captain
Tatner and his crew. Saturday night we
had comparatively pleasant night, and
all that had the opportunity slept sound
ly. Sunday morning still found us in
the Gulf stream with almost a complete
calm. There being no wind, could do
nothing but float with the current, which
runs about four miles an hour. We
spent the day resting and talking about
the terrible ordeal We had passed through b.
and watching the sharks that were swim.
ming around our vessel all day. Occa'
sionally school of flying fish would rise
up and fly off. We we're now on the
coast Of Florida, and cow and then would
be in sight of land. About 2 o'clock We
were sailing east of Fernandina, and
insisted very much on the Captain to lei
me off there, as had made the same re.
quest once before of Captain On trip
from Charleston to New York, before
the war, when We were blown off the
coast of North Carolina down on the
coast Of Florida. Three of us were on
our way to New York when we reached
the Florida coast, and we offered the Cap.
tain one thousand dollars to let US of
anywhere on the coast of Florida, just 80
it was land, as we we're lying in perfect
calm for four or five days, and could dc
nothing but fish. Neither this time nor
the other would they grant my request
The calm of the present trip lasted until
about 10:o'clock Sunday night, when q
brisk wind blew up from the Southeast,
and we ran from twelve to sixteen miles
an hour until Monday evening. On
Monday evening, when in sight of the
lighthouse at Charleston, and congratu.
lating each other on the pleasant time
We would have when we reached the city,
as we expected to be in the city in three
hours. At o'clock another storm blew
up and carried us off so that we were
gone three,days and three nights before
we got back where We started from, that
is, in sight of the light house again, and
it was very uncertain when we would
have reached the city had it not been for
a tow boat, which metus and pulled us
into the city. We might have been there
for days afterwards. This storm was
probably as severe as either ofthe others,
but re had the advantage of plenty Of
sea room. The vessel was turned out to
sea, and she seemed to fly like feather
before the wind. The storm continued
until 12 o'clock Tuesday, before they
could control the vessel. At 10 O'Clock
q. m., Thursday, We set foot upon laud at
the wharf in Charleston, having been
eleven days on our trip home.
Words fail me in my attempt to de-
scribe q storm at sea, and no one can
realize its awfulness, or the feelings of a
person experiencing one of them. If
you eau imagine yourself facing death
for one week, you can then have an idea
how we felt. Our Captain, who has been
sailing on the ocean for twenty. two years,
having been all over the Atlantic, waters
of Greece, around Cape Horn, in the
Pacific and the Mediterranean, said that
in all of his life he had never seen such
terrific or violent storms, and attended
with such wind. We would have given
all ne we're worth to have been on land,
but now, since We landed safely, would
not take any amount of money for my
experience as to how one feels in storm